People with a lower threshold for pain tend to align more with their opponents on ideological and religious lines. This finding emerged from researchers at the University of Toronto, who published the results in a study featured in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The work involved a large sample and a range of social backgrounds from the United States to capture diverse perspectives and political viewpoints.
In the study, 7,360 volunteers from various social groups completed questionnaires that explored attitudes toward moral dilemmas, political choices, and opinions about specific politicians. Alongside these measures, participants also rated their sensitivity to pain, allowing researchers to examine links between physical sensation and political or moral stance.
The analysis indicated that individuals who report higher sensitivity to pain were more likely to echo the positions of those they perceive as ideological adversaries. For instance, liberals who reported low pain tolerance tended to lean toward conservative positions, while conservatives with a lower pain threshold showed greater openness to Democratic figures and liberal values.
Pain sensitivity also correlated with moral value priorities. Pain-sensitive liberals tended to express stronger support for values such as loyalty, respect for authority, and principled conduct. Among conservatives, a lower pain threshold was linked to a greater emphasis on justice and caring for others.
The researchers emphasized that shifts in views tied to pain sensitivity do not imply a wholesale change in a person’s core identity or a move into the opposite political camp. Rather, pain sensitivity appears to influence the degree of openness or flexibility in expressing certain beliefs within existing identities.
Historically, scholars have noted that people can be more inclined to accept myths about sex. This line of inquiry suggests that perception of physical discomfort may intersect with beliefs about sexuality in nuanced ways, shaping how individuals interpret social norms and moral expectations.